Radio, Television, and Digital Communication at Naugatuck Valley Community College
CT · Associate's Degree · CIP 09.07
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Radio, Television, and Digital Communication degree from Naugatuck Valley Community College earn a median salary of $43,539 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $37,761. The degree typically pays for itself in 20.8 years.
Quick Insights
How this degree looks at a glance
A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.
Salary Ranges
Starting Range
$28,622
Typical Career
$43,539
Top Performers
$57,822
Estimated break-even: 20.8 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$290
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,628. Most students can comfortably afford about a $290 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.
5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent
$37,761
Nominal: $43,539 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower purchasing power
10-Year Earnings Curve
Break-Even Timeline
How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).
Total Investment
$155,168
4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost
HS Graduate Baseline
$38,792/yr
BLS 2023 median, HS diploma
View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
| Timeframe | 25th Pct. | Median (50th) | 75th Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year After Graduation | $20,932 | $28,611 | $41,357 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $28,622 | $43,539 | $57,822 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $35,940 | $50,311 | $85,664 |
Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).
How We Calculate Purchasing Power
The median salary of $43,539 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $43,539 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530)
= $37,761 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 44.1% of employment, followed by a significant 37.7% in the same sector, and 20.9% in Manufacturing. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 20.8 years, suggesting that while the program can lead to higher earnings, the return on investment may take considerable time to materialize. This data underscores the importance of considering both industry alignment and long-term financial outcomes when evaluating this educational path.
Compare with Another School
See how the Radio, Television, and Digital Communication degree at Naugatuck Valley Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
Explore More
Other Degrees at Naugatuck Valley Community College
Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.